We hear the word “unprecedented” and “uncharted” a lot in the news and in articles about the COVID-19 crisis, and this is simply because we are collectively living through a moment in time that none of us has navigated before. It’s as if someone pushed the pause button and our daily lives suddenly came to a halt. The suddenness and unexpectedness of this impact can feel jarring for many people as it has likely impacted your daily life in some way, from increased financial pressures, social isolation, navigating the grocery store, adapting to new roles in the home, to adopting different routines. Many people are also experiencing emotions such as stress, grief, worry, anger, and sadness. Some people may even be experiencing physical symptoms such as fatigue, muscle tension, headaches and sleeplessness. And for those with existing mental health conditions, symptoms can exacerbate during this time.

As we move through moment, self-care is crucial. For some of us, we have an existing self-care routine that we can draw upon to provide us comfort within. For others of us, we have never had this much time on our hands and this is an opportunity to explore new ways to care for ourselves. Self-care strategies are unique to each person, as we all find comfort and care from different activities and practices.